Most Popular Books by Michelle Lynn

From USA Today bestselling author Michelle Lynn comes a dystopian tale of family, freedom and love. My name is Dawn Nolan, and I grew up on the military-controlled streets of London. Now, the one person I could always count on has been taken from me. Gabby is pushy and a real pain -- but she''s the reason I''ve survived this long. She''s my sister. And now she''s gone. Criminals are sent to the colonies to work as slaves. There is no escape. I know that it''s a savage place, especially for a teenage girl from the wrong side of London. I might die trying. I''ll probably never see London again. But they''ve taken my sister, and I''m going to get her back.

Sadie Miller is attempting to change her ways and hide somewhere no one knows her former self. She only wants to finish her final year of college, obtain her degree, and get out from the hold of her affluent parents. Then she meets Brady Carsen, the lead singer of The Invisibles, a local band popular with the college crowd. She tries to stay away but quickly realizes that, although he might not be what she''s used to, he''s exactly what she needs and more importantly, everything she could possibly want. Unfortunately, Sadie''s troubled past left her with insecurities that make her question Brady''s true intentions. And while Brady is convinced that Sadie is the one for him, he has his own secrets that he fears will be their undoing. If they want to be together, they will have to stand united and fight the outside influences that are threatening to tear them apart. Can they put their pasts behind them for good in order to secure their future?

Brad and Taylor debate whether or not to overcome the past and give their relationship a second try.

The continuing Saga of Isabella and her clan. They come across many new faces good and bad. The evil making it hard for all of them. Will they survive or will they perish? Time will tell.

Over the past two decades, there have been several investigations into the inclusion of human rights content within U.S. schools. Scholars have observed that there is continued resistance to the full inclusion of human rights into U.S. K-12 social studies standards. Reasons for that delay include a lack of teacher training in human rights, the absence of adequate curricula, ideas of exceptionalism, and a lack of federal initiatives and support for the inclusion of human rights into content standards. Based on the findings of those studies and utilizing critical theory as my theoretical framework, I analyzed how 50 U.S. state social studies standards incorporated human rights. The three main findings of this study are: (a) significant disparities in the inclusion of human rights across the 50 U.S. state social studies standards; (b) human rights are disconnected from civil rights in most state standards; and (c) the state standards present diverse orientations of human rights. This study also highlights the tensions within social studies education that constrain human rights education. Finally, I address the existing curricula that are available for educators and suggest a process for adding more human rights to the social studies content standards.

Moving on is the hardest thing she''ll ever have to do.Taylor Scott sees the world differently than she did a year ago. She''s no longer the love-sick teenager, quick to smile and full of joy. Now she''s the broken college student just trying to get through the day without letting her feelings overwhelm her. It isn''t until she meets Josh that pieces of herself she''d lost start falling back into place and she can finally see that it''s okay to be happy again. Josh Walker is a professional athlete whose always avoided distractions. His career is just getting started and he works harder than anyone else. Hockey is his life. It''s the only thing that makes sense to him. When a new coach joins the team, it''s his daughter that threatens to complicate everything. He wants to help her. Needs to help her. But when he needs her to do the same, he finds out what she''s really made of. No one ever told him that the hardest part of his hockey career wouldn''t have to do with hockey at all.

Complex water governance systems are considered more effective when they build trust among their stakeholders. State-wide surveys of the general public can provide important insights into how trust influences stakeholders'' perceptions of various water issues. This dissertation aims to identify public perceptions of water governance in two states and to develop an effective methodological approach for measuring these perceptions. To do so, I surveyed address-based random samples of the general public in Nebraska and Washington using web and mail surveys. My first analysis reports findings from an embedded methodological test which explored the effects of sponsorship on survey response. Results from this analysis demonstrated that surveys sponsored by a university located in the same state as sample members achieved significantly higher response rates than out-of-state-sponsored surveys. In some ways, these differences were even more prominent when I requested a web response. Varying sponsorship also produced differences in final samples in terms of political party affiliation and resulted in differences in responses to some water governance questions, but not others. My second analysis examines public perceptions of the legitimacy of different water governance organizations for resolving water conflicts over the Ogallala Aquifer in Nebraska and the Columbia River in Washington. Results indicated almost half of Washington and Nebraska residents viewed state government organizations as most responsible for resolving these water conflicts. Residents also demonstrated similarities in the ways they legitimized their selections, though certain legitimacy types were better predictors of people''s selections of particular organizations than others. My third analysis assesses the influence of political partisanship on perceptions of drought risk and adaptive capacity to drought at the community- and regional-levels. Results demonstrated larger differences between Democrats and Republicans'' perceptions of drought risk and adaptive capacity in Washington than in Nebraska. Also, while variables measuring several dimensions of trust (e.g., trust in scientists, trust in long-time residents) were important for predicting public perceptions, these variables mattered differently for Republicans and Democrats. Overall, this dissertation deepens our sociological understanding of the role of trust in explaining public perceptions of water governance systems in the United States.

Alzheimer''s Disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease which leads to progressive mental deterioration that can occur in middle or old age. During the disease''s progression, various biochemical functions of the brain cells go astray and eventually lead to memory loss. What a lot of people do not realize is the fact this disease goes beyond just losing memory. From my own observation as well as research studies, it has been noticed that Alzheimer''s patients can experience sleep disruption, sundowning, speech decline, apraxia, agnosia, and behavioral changes such as depression and combativeness. As more of these signs and symptoms become evident to me, I conducted a plan as to how people who have loved ones with Alzheimer''s Disease can cope with them and those who experience the disease themselves can learn to improve everyday functions as the disease progresses. This thesis constitutes an awareness of all aspects of Alzheimer''s and a compilation of the best method for treatment and prevention.

The purpose of this research was to examine teachers,'' administrators,'' and parents'' perceptions of music therapy in schools and its effectiveness with various disabilities and age groups. Perceptions of music therapy were examined in relation to participants'': (a) previous knowledge of music therapy and (b) belief that music therapy will be beneficial to students with disabilities and address their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goals. Parents, teachers, administrators, and paraprofessionals from an elementary and a middle school in the Southeastern United States served as participants. Participants completed a 14-item questionnaire that addressed the three research questions and included items related to participants'' demographic information, previous knowledge of music therapy, perceptions of music therapy effectiveness, and disabilities and age groups with which music therapy is perceived to be effective. Results indicated that 65% of participants had heard of music therapy, and 60% had seen a music therapy group with children. The behavioral approach to music therapy was most familiar to participants but some participants had also heard of neurologic music therapy, psychodynamic music therapy, and Orff-Schulwerk. Eighty-seven percent of the participants agreed that music therapy was beneficial for students with disabilities, and participants felt music therapy was most effective in addressing the emotional and social goals of students with disabilities. Participants'' rank order for disability groups that would benefit from music therapy was: (1) speech/language impairment, (2) specific learning disability, (3) emotional disturbance, and (4) autism. Participants'' rank order for age groups that would benefit from music therapy was: (1) 0-5 years old, (2) 6-10 years old, (3) 11-15 years old, and (4) 16-18 years old. These findings indicate that parents, teachers, and administrators perceive music therapy to be effective with school-age students who have various disabilities, particularly younger children. Additionally, results from this study corroborate previous research regarding the perceived effectiveness of music therapy with other populations. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

"Between 1953 and 1974, 0̃.5 km3 of lava and tephra erupted from a new vent on the southwest flank of Trident volcano in Katmai National Park, Alaska, forming an edifice now known as Southwest Trident. The eruption commenced soon after mixing of dacite and andesite magmas at shallow crustal levels. The dacite lava flows contain andesitic enclaves as well as compositional banding. Dacite phenocryst melt inclusions and phase equilibria experiments on the andesite imply that the two magmas last resided at a water pressure of 90 MPa, and contained 3̃.5 wt % H2O, equivalent to 3 km depth. Diffusion profiles in phenocrysts suggest that mixing preceded eruption of the earliest lava by approximately one month. The enclaves in the dacite had experienced a complex history by the time they were erupted. Quantitative analysis of groundmass microphenocrysts in enclaves from the lava shows that the enclaves underwent a textural maturation. I have run experiments that replicate the path taken by andesite during magma mixing in which the andesite was annealed at 1000C̊, cooled at various rates to 890C̊, held for residence time t, and then quenched. The andesite experimentally cooled at the slower rates (2C̊/h and 10C̊/h) most resembles enclave groundmass. This is consistent with cooling of the andesite below an andesite-dacite interface, suggesting that pre-enclave formation crystallization caused vapor exsolution and enclave flotation. Decompression experiments on the dacite suggest an average ascent time for the eruption of 30 hours. The high silica rhyolite erupted during the June 1912 eruption of Katmai is notable both for its large volume and evolved composition. Hydrothermal, water-saturated experiments constrain the magma''s pre-eruptive storage condition to a region in P-T space between 800C̊ and 100 MPa and 850C̊ and 40 MPa. Amphibole is only present in the rhyolite of Novarupta dome, the last product of the eruption. Novarupta dome rhyolite probably was stored under the same conditions but underwent magma mixing with andesite and dacite prior to effusion"--Leaves iii-iv.

The concept of school faculty collaborating as a professional learning community has garnered widespread support and is the subject of much research and discussion. This qualitative case study was designed for the purpose of providing deeper insight into the establishment of professional learning communities from the perspective of a school which had been implementing PLCs for several years. One middle school was selected for this study based on its appearance as a highly functioning PLC. Data collected included observations of small group collaborative work sessions as well as whole faculty staff development, individual interviews with the principal and select teachers, a focus group interview with department chairs, and document analysis of related artifacts. Several themes emerged from the data, specifically regarding the school as a PLC and factors that impacted the implementation process. Barrett Middle School does appear to be a highly functioning PLC, characterized by embedded teacher leadership and focused, comprehensive professional learning, and a culture based on collaboration and student success. Factors contributing to this include involvement from the district level, including ongoing support and training, as well as efficacious principal leadership and a climate which favored implementation. Implications from this study include the value of embedded teacher leadership, as well as the need to support and develop the skills of principals involved in such efforts. In addition, the value of district involvement should be given significant consideration. Finally, schools like Barrett that seek to implement PLCs should consider the range and scope of the guidance they utilize.

Abstract: The present study examined napping in the workplace as an invisible stigmatized behavior by exploring work-related consequences to napping in the workplace, as well as possible moderators. The sample consisted of 140 psychology students who worked at least part-time from a large, public Southern California university. Participants responded to two online surveys spaced 3 days apart. In the pretest survey, the researcher assessed participants'' nap habit and work ethic. In the posttest survey, participants first read a scenario of a fictitious worker who either napped or read a magazine during his lunch break. Organizational policy (pro-nap vs. control) was also manipulated in the scenario. Participants were then asked to rate the worker''s employment-related outcomes (i.e., opportunities for promotion, performance evaluation and projected career progress) as well as personality. Hypothesis 1 predicted unfavorable perceptions of the "nap" worker compared with the "awake" worker. Hypothesis 2 predicted a moderating effect of a pro-napping organizational policy. Both of these hypotheses were not supported. Hypothesis 3 and Hypothesis 4 predicted moderating effects of raters'' own nap habit and work ethic, respectively. These hypotheses were partially supported, but the results were in the opposite direction of predictions. Therefore, the researcher explored three-way interaction effects between the fictitious worker''s nap status, organizational policy, and raters'' work ethic on two outcomes (perceived activity and interpersonal characteristics). The three-way interactions were supported and mostly consistent with logical expectations (e.g., when there was no clear organizational policy regarding napping, raters with higher work ethic frowned upon a nap worker whereas raters with lower work ethic viewed the napper more positively; however, a pro-nap company practice changed these rating patterns). Implications and potential future research were discussed

This paper examines the impact of the U.S. tax and financial reporting treatment of foreign earnings on the payouts to shareholders of U.S. multinational companies (MNCs). I find the U.S. tax and financial reporting treatment of foreign earnings weakens the otherwise strong, positive association between foreign earnings and the probability and level of dividend payments, but I do not observe an effect on the probability or level of stock repurchases or on the level of total payout. I also find U.S. MNCs with tax and/or financial reporting incentives to keep their foreign profits reinvested abroad make more extensive use of repurchases than dividends when making distributions to shareholders. This study contributes to our understanding of the impact of the current U.S. worldwide tax system on U.S. MNCs'' real decisions.

Growing up in small-town Belcrest, Maddy Jennings always thought she was destined to be with her childhood sweetheart, Trent Basso. Throughout the complicated road she has traveled with Trent, someone else has had a strong presence in Maddy''s life. Trent''s older brother Gabe has always been someone she could count on, therefore neither of them can be blamed when lines blur from friendship to something more. However, promises made between brothers threaten to ensure that neither of them will have a permanent place in her life. When Maddy returns to her hometown for her brother''s wedding, she is forced to face both Trent and Gabe for the first time in two years. While the two Basso brothers fight to win her heart, she is busy struggling with a past that won''t seem to let her go. Whether she wants to or not, Maddy must decide to either forfeit her own happiness or forever tear a family apart.

This thesis will discuss a variety of economic implications that could result from the legalization of marijuana. It will provide background information on marijuana laws and drug policy, including arguments for and against legalization. Next, the thesis will discuss the estimated tax revenue that can be obtained if marijuana were legalized, drawing on reports by Dr. Jeffrey Miron, Dr. Jon Gettman, and Max Chaiken. The following section presents a cost-savings analysis as argued by Dr. Jeffrey Miron. The thesis will then examine other economic issues affected by legalization and determines that there is the possibility for a successful hemp industry in the United States as well as positive economic implications for Mexico. Finally, the thesis concludes with a libertarian perspective on the issue to demonstrate the way a good number of economists view drug policy an alternative view of legalization outside of the mainstream Democratic and Republican perspectives.

The purpose of this study was to measure student-athlete''s awareness of transferable skills, identify what skills are most transferable, and identify the resources available to aid student-athletes in the transition from athletic career retirement to a non-athletic career setting. A modified version of McKnight''s (2007) survey was used to collect data regarding student-athlete awareness of career transition and transferable skills. One hundred and sixty student-athletes participated in the survey, which was comprised of three parts: (a) transferable skills, (b) career transition, and (c) demographic information. A quantitative approach utilized descriptive statistics to identify student-athlete''s awareness of transferable skills, the most frequently reported transferable skills, and the resources that aid in the acquirement of transferable skills and transition from athletic career retirement to a non-athletic career setting. The theoretical framework of the Model of Transition (Schlossberg, 1981) and Life Development Intervention (LDI) (Mayocchi and Hanrahan, 2000) was used to explain the factors that influence transition and role of transferable skills while transitioning out of sport. The findings are consistent with previous research stated in the literature, indicating student-athletes are highly aware of transferable skills. The student-athletes who participated in this study also determined strong work ethic as the most frequently reported transferable skill. Family members and athletics department personnel such as coaches and student-athlete development staff were identified as the most useful resources for aiding in the acquirement of transferable skills and transition from athletic career retirement to a non-athletic career setting.

This descriptive and analytic study used a secondary data set to describe and compare medication use and agricultural injury experiences between younger (≤54 years old) and older (≥55 years old) farmers; and to examine the relationship between the use of specific classes of medication and reported agricultural injury. The study sample included a total of 316 farmers, age 26 to 80 years old; 103 older farmers (33%), and 210 younger farmers (66%). This cohort of farmers sustained a total of 318 nonfatal agricultural injuries. No statistical difference was found in the mean number of injuries sustained by older and younger farmers. The injury rate for the whole cohort of farmers was 41.95 injuries/100 years; older farmers'' injury rate was 38.35 injuries/100 person-years, while younger farmers'' was 44.01 injuries/100 person-years. Older farmers were more likely to report taking a medication than the younger farmers (OR: 3.08; 95% CI: 1.94-4.92). Older farmers had statistically significant greater odds of reporting the use of several medication classes/subclasses than the younger farmers, including: hormones; cardiac medications such as: ACE inhibitors, blood pressure medications, alpha blockers, and beta blockers, and finally central nervous system medications such as pain medications. Older farmers were also found to report taking more medications than younger farmers. Multiple logistic regression analysis using GEE was used to examine the association between using specific classes of medication and agricultural injury, taking into consideration a myriad of confounding factors. Agricultural work exposures associated with injury included noise (OR 1.39, 95% CI: 1.02-1.90), chemical/pesticide use (OR 1.88, 95% CI: 1.39-2.55), heavy lifting (1.55, 95% CI: 1.06-2.28) and raising livestock (OR 1.49, 95% CI: 1.08-2.06).

This quality improvement project looks at Sugammadex dosing regimens in a facility that uses qualitative assessment to assess neuromuscular recovery. To determine how dosing of Sugammadex impacts residual paralysis three dosing groups will be compared, the facility standard dosing regime of 200 mg, the manufacture recommended 2mg/kg and what recent literature recommends 1mg/kg. To determine residual paralysis tidal volume and negative inspiratory flow will be measured. This quality improvement project has the potential to reduce incidences of residual paralysis in facilities using qualitative assessment.

Using this measure, I compared differences in the odds of graduate enrollment and timing of graduate enrollment based on marital status, parental status, and gender. Overall, more women than men enrolled in graduate education, and men enrolled sooner than women. The results showed that being a parent had a negative effect on if and when an individual enrolled in graduate school. Being married also had a negative effect on if and when an individual enrolled in graduate school, with married men experiencing a slightly stronger negative effect than married women. The combined effect of being married and being a parent had the strongest negative effect on graduate enrollment for men and women, but more so for women. By better understanding graduate college choice, institutions can more effectively use resources and improve the opportunities and experiences for graduate students and, specifically, graduate students with families. Minimizing barriers to entry may level the playing field between graduate degree aspirants with families and those without families.

"The purpose of this project is to train Wells Fargo human resources call center representatives to better interpret paralanguage cues perceived through the phone which should result in increased employee and customer satisfaction. This project will be used to train Wells Fargo employees to understand and react to conflict cues as a result of paralanguage by incoming callers. Expected results of the training include increased conflict management skills, higher quality assurance numbers, and improved employee and customer satisfaction." leaves 10-11.